Postmaster lacks resources to solve delivery problems

Postmaster favors sorting mail locally, but work hours not made available for that choice

The complaints concerning mail delivery and time of delivery have continued to be registered, but no changes have been made or plan to be made.

Donna Sherwood, a resident who has had continual problems with her mail, had two checks that were sent to her from other Craig residents that never made it to her. They were not just delayed, they were lost.

"In the past two months, I've had two checks that were sent to me lost. They have not showed up, and no one knows where they could be," Sherwood said. "One of the people who sent me a check lives less than five miles from me.

"Our mail is being sent out of town to be sorted, and then not making it back. I just can't see why our mail isn't sorted here when it's seems clear that sending it out of town isn't a very good system."

Glenwood Springs' automated system began operating last September, and when running at full speed can sort 40,000 pieces of mail an hour. Craig's mail has been sent there since November.

Craig Postmaster Rich Ryan now also sees sorting the mail at the Craig Post Office as the best option.

"I would prefer to change the system if I had the hours to do it, but the work hours went down to the processing center [in Glenwood Springs], so we can't do the work here. My options are limited," Ryan said. "With a complaint line, all that does is bring the complaints to me, and I don't have the ability to make a change.

"The next step is to register the complaint to my boss, so to speak, where it might make a difference."

Tim Padden, Post Office Operations Manager for Area 4, is the person who oversees the offices and Postmasters for Craig and the surrounding communities.

"I'd love to work the mail here, but I can't do it, the hours aren't available to me," Ryan said. "The complaints to my boss might just end up coming back to me, but at least people can try it."